Both sides looking ahead to inauguration & beyond

MADISON (WKOW) — As the final preparations for the soon-to-be governor’s inauguration are being made inside the Capitol, many are excited for what Monday will hold.

“Tomorrow is really about hope,” Analiese Eicher, with the liberal action group One Wisconsin Now, said. “It’s about a new beginning.”

“It’s a recognition, honoring the offices of those who are going to be inaugurated [Monday],” Brandon Scholz, a Republican strategist, said.

While Eicher and Scholz are on different sides of the aisle, they can agree on the day’s importance, but they’re waiting to see what happens after.

“Tuesday they roll up their sleeves and go to work because there’s no time to sit back and wait,” Scholz said.

The hope is that Evers lives up to the goals he brought up on the campaign trail.

“We fully expect that Gov. Evers will deliver on his promises to improve education, to improve transportation and to improve the lives of all Wisconsinites,” Eicher said.

Gov.-elect Evers will, I suspect, focus on education, transportation,” Scholz said. “He’s talked a lot about trying to solve problems from what he’s heard from people around the state.”

Scholz says Evers is going to get good support from the cabinet he’s picking, even praising his choice of state Rep. Peter Barca of Kenosha for the Department of Revenue.

“That outside perspective I think will be important, because it’ll give them an opportunity to take a look at their agencies, what they can do and if there’s an issue that they want to try and solve,” Scholz said.

Both agree on the need for bipartisanship between the incoming governor and the Legislature, but Eicher says Republicans will have to concede to Evers, especially after the lame-duck bill, while Scholz says both parties will have to make sacrifices.